NO ELECTIONS IN SIGHT, BETTER TO MAKE PARTY STRONG: OMAR

Srinagar: Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that he does not see any assembly elections taking place in Jammu and Kashmir in the year 2021, and added that he will only work on the ground to make his party National Conference strong. In order to play down the assembly election issue he claimed that it was not a priority for his party and he will only try to enhance the reach of the National Conference among the common people in Jammu and Kashmir. Omar on Thursday was in Kulgam district of South Kashmir in a party function and a large number of people had gathered from his party National Conference to listen to him. On the sidelines of the function while talking to the media Omar said that the central government has already given one year extension to the delimitation commission and “God knows how many more extensions”. Omar said that time has come for the National Conference to become active at the ground level and make its contact with the general masses in such a critical phase. Regarding the recently held DDC elections and their impact on the development scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said that there is no visible change on the ground after the elections. He said that Jammu and Kashmir has been suffering in the past few years because there is no political government and the bureaucrats have no contact with common people. Asking the government to give powers to the DDC members in order allow them to work on the ground he said that instead they are being used as “photo-opportunity and as a diplomatic tool”. Regarding the recent ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan Omar said that his party has been demanding an end to such hostilities on both sides and expressed hope that this step will bring both the countries more closely to talk freely in peace and for peace.